19/06/2026
This is an unfortunate reminder of the fatal outcomes of improper and irregular training. The first fundamental rule of firearm safety is to ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FIREARM POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
To be a responsible firearm user is to be aware of your need to keep training. Even those who work with fi****ms daily need to practice. Qualifications do not save lives, discipline does.
Even field guides/rangers should be continuously practicing. Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH) is the minimum and should be the basis from which additional training and assessments such as Regulation 21 must form part of each firearm user's journey.
As Secpro, we extend our sincere condolences to all those involved in this tragic incident.
The fundamental rules of firearm safety:
1. Always keep your firearm pointed in a SAFE DIRECTION
2. Always keep your FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER until you are ready to shoot
3. Always treat every firearm AS IF IT WERE LOADED
4. Always be SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND
Incident at Concession Picnic Site in the Kruger National Park
A guest has been fatally wounded at a concession-operated braai picnic area in the vicinity of Phabeni Gate in the Kruger National Park on the evening of Wednesday, 17 June 2026.
Based on the preliminary information available at this stage, a private guide attached to the concession operator allegedly accidentally discharged a firearm, resulting in the fatal injury of a 69-year-old guest from Canada.
The guest was part of a group booked outside the park and only came in for a bush braai offered by a private concession with a valid permit to operate the facility within the park: https://shorturl.at/6gHRk
